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Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Published on: September 18, 2020
Low AZGP1 expression predicts for recurrence in margin-positive, localized prostate cancer
Po Yee Yip1, James G Kench, Krishan K Rasiah
1Department of Medical Oncology, Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
The Prostate
|March 25, 2011
Summary
Zinc-alpha 2-glycoprotein (AZGP1) is a potential marker for biochemical relapse in men with positive margins after prostate cancer surgery. Absent or low AZGP1 expression independently predicts recurrence, aiding in selecting patients for radiotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Urology
Background:
- Men with positive surgical margins after radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PC) face a high biochemical relapse rate (40-50% at 5 years).
- Adjuvant radiotherapy improves outcomes but increases toxicity, highlighting the need for precise prognostic markers to guide treatment decisions.
- Identifying patients who will benefit from multimodality therapy is crucial for optimizing care and minimizing side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between four previously identified molecular markers (nuclear β-catenin, membranous secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4), zinc-alpha 2-glycoprotein (AZGP1), and macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1)) and outcomes in men with margin-positive, localized PC.
- To determine if these markers can predict biochemical relapse in this specific patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 186 men with positive margins identified from 330 men with localized PC.
- Evaluation of the expression of AZGP1, sFRP4, MIC-1, and β-catenin in relation to clinical and pathological features.
- Univariate and multivariate analyses to identify independent predictors of biochemical relapse.
Main Results:
- Absent/low AZGP1 expression was identified as an independent predictor of biochemical relapse (P=0.01) in margin-positive, localized PC patients.
- AZGP1 expression, along with membranous sFRP4 and MIC-1, predicted biochemical relapse on univariate analysis (P=0.009, P=0.03, P=0.04, respectively).
- Absent/low AZGP1 expression was also associated with clinical recurrence (P=0.007).
Conclusions:
- Zinc-alpha 2-glycoprotein (AZGP1) shows potential as a molecular biomarker for predicting biochemical relapse in men with margin-positive, localized prostate cancer.
- Routine assessment of AZGP1 expression could improve patient selection for adjuvant radiotherapy, optimizing treatment efficacy and reducing toxicity.
- This finding supports the development of targeted therapies based on molecular markers in prostate cancer management.
